8 comments:

Sandy - I'd never heard of any of them either! But I'll definitely read one from the fiction and nonfiction categories for my Reading the States challenge. Apparently Idaho isnt' a popular setting for books.

I am embarrassed to say that I have lived in northern Nevada for 32 years (very close to Idaho) and have still not visited, or read any books about or centered in Idaho. I will have to remedy that soon; I hear it is very beautiful. And perhaps I can read one of the books you have listed. I am beginning to see that some states are more difficult than others when it comes to literature.

annieb - They are! New York, California, Florida, they're all easy. But states like Idaho take a lot more work to find some options. I try to only list books that have some merit, not just a random romance novel set in that state.

I just wanted to add that I checked your link to Hyde Park Books in Boise and what a great website it is. I learned to pronounce Ondaatje, just hope I spelled it right. When I go to Idaho it will have to be on my list of places to visit. Alas, where I live there are no cool bookstores. We used to have a Borders, but we all know what happened to them. If not for the internet and thrift stores, I would probably be bookless and that is not a fate I want to contemplate! Even our library, which does try, doesn't seem to have the support of the city fathers.

annieb - I thought that bookstore looked amazing too! I haven't been to Idaho yet, but I'd love to visit it whenever I go. Indianapolis isn't known for its great bookstores either. My favorite is Half Priced Books, but I wish we had more options.

Rating System

I rate on my personal reaction to the book, not its literary merit: ★ = one star ☆ = 1/2 star
★★★★★: A new favorite, a must-read
★★★★: Liked it a lot, but won't reread
★★★: Nothing special, but OK
★★: Not my cup of tea
★: Waste of time